Memories of Mom forever in his heart

Bethlehem's Mueller coping with loss of mother to cancer in August

James Alle, Times Union

By James Allen

Published 10:28 pm, Monday, May 20, 2013

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who lost his mother to cancer in the summer of 2012, reaches base during their boy's high school baseball game against Colonie on Tuesday May 14, 2013 in Colonie, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who...

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who lost his mother to cancer in the summer of 2012, during their boy's high school baseball game against Colonie on Tuesday May 14, 2013 in Colonie, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who...

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who lost his mother to cancer in the summer of 2012, during their boy's high school baseball game against Colonie on Tuesday May 14, 2013 in Colonie, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who...

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who lost his mother to cancer in the summer of 2012, during their boy's high school baseball game against Colonie on Tuesday May 14, 2013 in Colonie, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who...

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who lost his mother to cancer in the summer of 2012, during their boy's high school baseball game against Colonie on Tuesday May 14, 2013 in Colonie, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who...

Bethlehem senior outfielder Eric Mueller, a four-year starter who lost his mother to cancer in the summer of 2012, during their boy's high school baseball game against Colonie on Tuesday May 14, 2013 in Colonie, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

"There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about her. I am just trying to do my best," Bethlehem senior center fielder Eric Mueller said of his mother, Donna, who died from cancer on Aug. 24, 2012. "It has been tough at times to keep my head in there and stay focused. I am trying to do the best I can for her."

Wearing a special jersey with pink trim, Eric Mueller stood on the mound on May 3 at Bruno Stadium beside his father, Ed, and sister, Lisa. Baseball has always brought the Mueller family together, but this first-pitch ceremony symbolized the loss of Donna Mueller and the chance to raise money and awareness to combat the disease.

Eric Mueller is in his fourth varsity season at Bethlehem. His senior season has been a struggle for one of the area's premier players as he continues coping with the loss of his mother nearly one year after being diagnosed with cancer.

"She would get to the games. Coach (Rob) Helm would manage to get the car there, so at least she could watch the home games during the bad part (of her fight)," Ed Mueller said. "It was a bad thing for him to go through. They were pretty tight. She loved watching him play baseball."

The Bethlehem athletic community rallied around the Mueller family last year. For a long period of time after Donna Mueller was first diagnosed, members of the community sent dinners to the family every night.

"We actually had to tell them to go back to five nights a week, and later to three," Ed Mueller said. "The baseball community was great to her. She smiled every time they came to visit."

Donna Mueller always found different ways to volunteer for her son's youth baseball teams.

The summer leading into the senior year for a baseball player is the most vital aspect of the recruiting process. Mueller drew interest from several Division I schools, but he didn't make any visits as his mother's condition deteriorated last summer.

"He sort of keeps to himself about it," Ed Mueller said of his wife's death. "He holds in (his pain) better than my daughter or I do."

Mueller's senior season would be superb for most players, but it does not measure up to his career numbers. He is hitting .317 and has 17 runs batted in — good for second on the team. The senior has struck out only four times in 72 plate appearances.

"That is totally not him," Helm said.

"He is not hitting to his level of expectation," Ed Mueller said.

Helm believes Mueller, a second-team Large School Times Union all-star after hitting .500 last season, has the same talent and ability former Bethlehem star Mike Fish possesses. Fish stars at Siena and likely will be selected in the June major-league draft.

Helm has watched his star player fighting himself.

"Eric was in center field the other day against Colonie and was practicing his hitting while the game was going on," Helm said. "His Mom was a big part of baseball. Even when she was sick, she came to the games. For him, baseball isn't an outlet — it is a reminder."

Helm cares deeply for Mueller and seeing him battle issues he never struggled with on the diamond has been hard.

"We had a situation (Wednesday) where Eric was on first and we had a runner on third. I gave him the signal to steal. He goes into second base standing up and gets tagged out," Helm said. "He came in and I asked him what happened and he said, 'I forgot to slide.' So much of this game is mental, especially for hitters. He has the physical attributes to hit, but his head just isn't there all the time."

"Baseball is a great escape, but think about it? There is a lot of down time with baseball," Mueller said. "When you struggle, you have to keep your head together and look toward the future."

The Eagles (15-5), ranked No. 13 in the state Class AA poll, are seeded No. 7 in the Section II Class AA tournament field. They will take on No. 2 La Salle (15-5) in the quarterfinals Thursday at Geer Field in Troy.

Bethlehem has made a major late-season push that has both Helm and Mueller excited.

"We're looking forward to playing the best teams out there and competing with everyone," Mueller said. "I think we're going to do well."